Cutty Sark by bcochran - Revell - 1/96 - PLASTIC

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Looking good. Music wire is a good idea - it occurs to me that the thinner wound guitar strings might pass for served cables if blackened.

[bcochran]

I have assembled all the ship's plastic parts except for anchors and trail boards, masts and spars. I am waiting for the bullseyes I ordered to rig the bow sprit and jib boom.  When done, I'll add the anchor and trail board.

 

Hismodel has sent me a replacement set of photo etch decorations. I need to add them to the trail boards, starboard side of the wheelhouse and the stern.   I have no confidence in my ability to work with the etchings today. Maybe I'll have it soon. I'll work on the trail boards first, using Hismodel's methodology and the advice you all gave me here.

 

So today I will begin assembling the masts and tops. I need to get a small vice to hold them in while working on them.   I will use Bruma's log for ideas on building masts. Thanks Bruma.  I'll never have your abilities, but I'll do what I can.

Edited May 16, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

There is something I didn't mention that I did with this model.  There are several places where the deck and waterways do not meet, and a gap is left, mostly at the point of the forecastle deck, and the stern around the rear and sides of the poop deck. A few places of the main deck near the bow also needed filling.  I filled the gaps with a bead of Elmer's white glue applied with a tooth pick.  The result is the gap is filled, but isn't very noticeable.  It does not draw your eye's attention like an open gap does.

 

In the pictures, you can see the dark grayish dried glue which filled in the gaps. Sometimes a few applications were  needed. On my USS Constitution model, I filled the gaps with strips of styrene and sanded them even with the waterways and deck.  With the Cutty Sark I did not want to sand any of the wood deck overlay.

Edited May 16, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

starboard

[Kevin-the-lubber]

The glue tip is going to be useful for me. Although I tried to make the new deck as close as possible there will still be some slight gaps here and there. You said it’s white glue, does it dry grey or did you paint it?

 

Note to self: if I ever use my spare kit I’ll replace the entire waterway; this issue could be easily avoided by having the deck sitting on top of, rather than butting up to, the waterway, and be more true to the ship into the bargain.

[Bruma]

21 hours ago, bcochran said:

Hismodel has sent me a replacement set of photo etch decorations. I need to add them to the trail boards, starboard side of the wheelhouse and the stern.   I have no confidence in my ability to work with the etchings today. Maybe I'll have it soon. I'll work on the trail boards first, using Hismodel's methodology and the advice you all gave me here.

CA gel worked for me. It has a slightly longer curing time, and it is easily applicable with a toothpick. The excess is also easy to remove with a clean toothpick.  

 

 

21 hours ago, bcochran said:

   I will use Bruma's log for ideas on building masts. Thanks Bruma.  I'll never have your abilities, but I'll do what I can.

You are doing a fantastic job, and I'm sure you will do better than me! 

Did you already glue the fife rails around the masts? If not, do not glue them! It will be easier to rig the mainstay and the maintopgallant stay. 

 

 

[bcochran]

7 hours ago, Kevin-the-lubber said:

The glue tip is going to be useful for me. Although I tried to make the new deck as close as possible there will still be some slight gaps here and there. You said it’s white glue, does it dry grey or did you paint it?

 

Note to self: if I ever use my spare kit I’ll replace the entire waterway; this issue could be easily avoided by having the deck sitting on top of, rather than butting up to, the waterway, and be more true to the ship into the bargain.

The glue is white until it dries, then it is semi transparent or a milky gray like in my pictures.  If it gets on the waterway, it is almost invisible.

[bcochran]

1 hour ago, Bruma said:

CA gel worked for me. It has a slightly longer curing time, and it is easily applicable with a toothpick. The excess is also easy to remove with a clean toothpick.  

 

 

You are doing a fantastic job, and I'm sure you will do better than me! 

Did you already glue the fife rails around the masts? If not, do not glue them! It will be easier to rig the mainstay and the maintopgallant stay. 

 

 

Yes, I glued the fife rails.  I remember you saying how hard it is to rig around them, but I didn't pay attention.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

The fife rails tip is one thing that really lodged in my head. Is CA gel the same as CA thick? Or even thicker?

[bcochran]

The setting sun was making shadows on my ship that I thought were interesting.

Edited May 18, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

9 hours ago, Kevin-the-lubber said:

The fife rails tip is one thing that really lodged in my head. Is CA gel the same as CA thick? Or even thicker?

I haven't used gel CA yet.  I am going to Michael's or Hobby Lobby tomorrow to find some. If none there, I will look online.   Since I have several sets of the etchings minus the stern decorations, I have lots to practice with.

Edited May 18, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

 

Below is the download link to HisModel  zip file of Cutty Sark plans. You can use your mouse to enlarge and read. They are free and very clear to read.  They are Campbells plans.  Each page is a type of running rigging or standing rigging. He has done the work for you of separating the type of rigging from Campbell's plan.

 

HisModel has color coded the blocks and deadeyes which refer to the size of the block or dead eye and the size of rope used.

 

Here is the download link:

https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/download.php?Id=110 

Edited May 18, 2022 by bcochran

[bcochran]

About Campbell deadeye placement, if you look at the rigging plan, look at the main mast lower deadeyes.  Below the ship outline he has 11 deadeyes and a place for a cap stay.  There are 6 large deadeyes and 5 small deadeyes.  Now if you look at the rigging plan for the main shrouds and stays he has 5 large dead eyes and 7 small dead eyes just as Revell has, plus what I think is the cap stay.

Edited May 18, 2022 by bcochran

[shipman]

Hi, again.

 

Following your link to hismodel, all I can find are reproductions of Revell instructions; nothing remotely resembling Campbell plans.

 

I just got the Campbell 'General Arrangement' plan (hull) off ebay. Interestingly, the quality is very clear, not the usual over reproduced blurry copies which are now so common.

Edited May 18, 2022 by shipman
Typo

[bcochran]

14 minutes ago, shipman said:

Hi, again.

 

Following your link to hismodel, all I can find are reproductions of Revell instructions; nothing remotely resembling Campbell plans.

 

I just got the Campbell 'General Arrangement' plan (hull) off ebay. Interestingly, the quality is very clear, not the usual over reproduced blurry copies which are now so common.

I put the download link on my post    here it is again:  https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/download.php?Id=110 

[bcochran]

Main mast complete and temporarily stepped and Nanny the witch.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by bcochran

[Ian_Grant]

Being a teenage boy when I built the CS in the 70's, I painted Nanny with flesh colour and dark hair, and two tiny dots of red paint for nipples. Sheesh.

 

If I ever refurbish her (the CS) job one after cleaning will be painting Nanny white. 😀

Edited May 18, 2022 by Ian_Grant
sp

[bcochran]

28 minutes ago, Ian_Grant said:

Being a teenage boy when I built the CS in the 70's, I painted Nanny with flesh colour and dark hair, and two tiny dots of red paint for nipples. Sheesh.

 

If I ever refurbish her (the CS) job one after cleaning will be painting Nanny white. 😀

If I am not mistaken, I think the Portuguese painted her.

[Kevin-the-lubber]

1 hour ago, Ian_Grant said:

I painted Nanny

Well, that's spoilt my day, that was exactly my plan for when I get that far.😝

[bcochran]

Here is an email I got from Radimir at His Model.  I told him that we appreciate what he does.

 

Thank you, for yours valuation.
I've been a wheelchair-bound paraplegic for 20 years. And now I can only do the bare minimum of things on my own. I was been building models of historic sailboats since I was a kid, and I was been sailing for 25 years. Inventing and making and selling model merchandise for historic sailboats is what gives me purpose in life.
I wish you a beautiful model.
Radimir

[bcochran]

For futtock shrouds I was thinking of putting an eyelet in the band around the mast where the lower yard attaches.  Underhill calls it the futtock or futter band. Or put it a bit lower as in Campbell's plan.  Underhill is generic and Campbell is the Cutty Sark.  Using the wire that straps the deadeye as the futtock shroud and putting its end in the eyelet. One eyelet for all three shrouds.  I think it would be too much to try and represent the shackles.

 

Here are some illustrations from Underhill's book, Campbell and the model's main mast

Edited May 19, 2022 by bcochran

[rwiederrich]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:41 AM, bcochran said:

If I am not mistaken, I think the Portuguese painted her.

Indeed they did.

[rwiederrich]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:41 AM, bcochran said:

If I am not mistaken, I think the Portuguese painted her.

I took a little liberty when I built the Ferreira. Not knowing her true colors....but knowing who she was painted to mimic.

 

Rob

[shipman]

The ship had always been painted black until the portuguese period.

[bcochran]

I'm making eyelets for the chain slings on the lower masts and yards.   I will have one eyelet for the mast and one for the yard. I will then connect them with a piece of chain, then fix them to the yard and mast.

[bcochran]

I got my bullseyes in the mail today from model expo.  Now I will have to begin to rig the bow sprit and jib boom.

[bcochran]

5 mm jack stay pins.

[bcochran]

On 5/16/2022 at 5:02 AM, Kevin-the-lubber said:

Looking good. Music wire is a good idea - it occurs to me that the thinner wound guitar strings might pass for served cables if blackened.

I've changed my mind about the music wire. It does not look as good as chain.  I drilled a hole in the bumkins after they broke off when removing the wire. I drilled a hole in the piece left in the hull also and superglued a piece of the music wire in the bumkin and hull.  Now they are mounted well and I added chain.  The rear bumkin chain needs to be added after the stern decorations.

[bcochran]

The masts are built.  I'm beginning to rig the bowsprit and jib-boom.

 

I ordered HisModel's blocks.  I don't know how to strop them yet, but I will learn.  At his website's photographs, there is a very good build of the Cutty Sark.  My goal is to do as good or better. I am starting to feel better about rigging.

 

I think my model is looking less and less like plastic.  I am doing over things that were complete, but I was not 100% pleased with. In my mind, I have a level of quality I am willing to accept.  If an area or part is not up to that standard, I'll do it over until it is.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by bcochran

[rwiederrich]

Sweet.  Very nice and clean.  Now the real challenge begins...Rigging.

 

One of my favorite things about clippers.    It's good you are doing your homework.  I built my first CS back in 1975~76 and I didn't have the internet to help in my study....  It was the library and the plans that came in the kit,

 

Pretty good for the earlier kits.

 

Rob